lcgerstmann's review against another edition
3.0
i was in love with the concept of this book so much more than I loved the book itself. I liked many things about this book however, it is beautifully written and dares to introduce a controversial and tough concept to young readers. It explores the religious, societal and emotional consequences of human cloning and because it is told from the POV of the clone, makes the reader care for him and the people who learn to love him. The story is set in a very plausible dystopian world where drug lords are law and the bad people are really bad. I can't imagine someone not rooting for this little boy despite whatever feelings they had about cloning going into the story. Although the story is very intellectually deep, the storytelling was slow and often boring, which I found disappointing enough with such an exciting concept, that I could only give 3 stars.
julieanncordero's review against another edition
3.0
This book kind of lost my interest toward the end, but overall I enjoyed it. I do not have any desire to read the sequel, though.
theyettiden's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
smalefowles's review against another edition
4.0
This is a sci-fi bildungsroman set in a future dystopian border zone between Aztlán (Mexico) and the U.S. The worldbuilding is competent, and the plotting is diligent in its twistings. It's narrated by the protagonist, who is naïve past the point one might expect, leading to vast tracts of dramatic irony.
There are a number of aspects of the book that gave me pause, but perhaps that's just more opportunities for dialogue and discussion. The book draws together a pile of hot topics and stirs them up, without having a clear central theme, but I guess that's how much literature operates. Why should we expect YA to be more cut-and-dried?
(That said, I would advise not reading the author's note if you would like to continue liking the book.)
There are a number of aspects of the book that gave me pause, but perhaps that's just more opportunities for dialogue and discussion. The book draws together a pile of hot topics and stirs them up, without having a clear central theme, but I guess that's how much literature operates. Why should we expect YA to be more cut-and-dried?
(That said, I would advise not reading the author's note if you would like to continue liking the book.)
britlaccetti's review against another edition
4.0
The House of the Scorpion was recommended to me by my directing teacher when I was an English teacher intern. I think it's a fantastic story to bring into the classroom because there are many themes present that are important to teenagers, such as the choice to partake in drugs, slavery, and what it's like to be bullied severely. I think discussing this novel among students would be very interesting because there would be a plethora of perspectives.
The House of the Scorpion is about a clone of a drug lord. The clone, Matteo, is very human and throughout the novel we see him grow from a vulnerable young child to a semi-confident teenager. He survives many hardships, and takes an epic journey. It's a coming-to-age story within a dystopian wasteland.
The writing isn't too particularly beautiful, but it's quick and straight forward. I would recommend The House of the Scorpion to teenagers, and to anyone who likes a good dystopian novel.
The House of the Scorpion is about a clone of a drug lord. The clone, Matteo, is very human and throughout the novel we see him grow from a vulnerable young child to a semi-confident teenager. He survives many hardships, and takes an epic journey. It's a coming-to-age story within a dystopian wasteland.
The writing isn't too particularly beautiful, but it's quick and straight forward. I would recommend The House of the Scorpion to teenagers, and to anyone who likes a good dystopian novel.
kstring's review against another edition
3.0
I still can't decide if I liked or disliked this book. The least I can say is that I did not love it and I did not hate it; my feelings are somewhere in the middle. There were parts I enjoyed and was really getting into and segments where I felt disconnected from the text. I wish I could write more of a review, but I've got nothing coming to mind.
shonaningyo's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book though I felt that the last 30 pages or so were a little...I don't know, weak? Also, Nancy Farmer uses the word "seething" a lot.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
3.0
This book came to me with a stack of others from a local school librarian. She bestowed on me the amazing honor of giving book talks for her middle school students next school year and sent me on my way with a bagful of titles to read in preparation. When I picked this one up from the shelf, I didn't expect to post anything about it on my site. I'm all for YA, and I've posted before about great YA titles that cross over well to adult readers, but it's been a long time since I read anything specifically targeted at middle grades, and I thought, you know, how good could it be?
I might as well stop making assumptions at all, ever, because of how frequently I've been wrong lately. The House of the Scorpion got my attention like a bucket of cold water over the head. It's tightly-written and confronts a whole host of complex ethical issues without flinching. Nancy Farmer may write for kids, but she doesn't mince words.
Matt has spent his entire childhood in a tiny shack in a field of poppies. A woman named Celia takes care of him, but she's told him not to call her Mom. She spends all day working as a cook in a big house out of sight, leaving Matt locked inside the shack. One day three children appear outside Matt's window. He knows Celia will be furious with him if he breaks out, but he's so lonely he does it anyway.
Suddenly Matt learns he isn't just a regular human—he's a clone, a genetic copy of another person. And not just any person—Matt's originator is Matteo Alacran, “El Patron,” the most powerful drug dealer alive on the border between the US and Canada.
El Patron seems to like Matt and makes sure he has a good education and an easy life. But there are questions that bother Matt. El Patron is over 140 years old—how has he managed to live so long? Why did he have a clone made in the first place? Is Matt a real human, or an animal as some of El Patron's resentful relatives suggest?
Matt has to escape from El Patron's opium plantation, but he's not prepared for the strange world he finds outside it, where orphan children are used as slave labor and cured of their individualism. How will Matt elude all the people who try to control him? What kind of person would he be if he got to choose for himself?
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
I might as well stop making assumptions at all, ever, because of how frequently I've been wrong lately. The House of the Scorpion got my attention like a bucket of cold water over the head. It's tightly-written and confronts a whole host of complex ethical issues without flinching. Nancy Farmer may write for kids, but she doesn't mince words.
Matt has spent his entire childhood in a tiny shack in a field of poppies. A woman named Celia takes care of him, but she's told him not to call her Mom. She spends all day working as a cook in a big house out of sight, leaving Matt locked inside the shack. One day three children appear outside Matt's window. He knows Celia will be furious with him if he breaks out, but he's so lonely he does it anyway.
Suddenly Matt learns he isn't just a regular human—he's a clone, a genetic copy of another person. And not just any person—Matt's originator is Matteo Alacran, “El Patron,” the most powerful drug dealer alive on the border between the US and Canada.
El Patron seems to like Matt and makes sure he has a good education and an easy life. But there are questions that bother Matt. El Patron is over 140 years old—how has he managed to live so long? Why did he have a clone made in the first place? Is Matt a real human, or an animal as some of El Patron's resentful relatives suggest?
Matt has to escape from El Patron's opium plantation, but he's not prepared for the strange world he finds outside it, where orphan children are used as slave labor and cured of their individualism. How will Matt elude all the people who try to control him? What kind of person would he be if he got to choose for himself?
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
xytisread's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0